382w ago - Sony appears to be having problems with failure rates on the new 40GB PlayStation 3 model, according to retail sources.

Speaking to Dutch site Gamed.nl, Belgian games retailer Games Mania has said that while the new 40GB model is selling well, some 40 per cent of the new consoles sold so far have been returned due to hardware defects that result in the console being unable to read Blu-Ray and other discs.

No actual numbers have been made available so far, so it's unclear whether this is simply a case of a single retailer receiving a batch of dud consoles or whether this is a more sizeable problem along the lines of the infamous 360 three red lights issue.

Given the lack of similar reports from around the globe, we'd certainly hold off from declaring the 40GB as unreliable just yet. However, it is worth pointing out that the 40GB model has been made using revised manufacturing techniques designed to lower costs, and features fewer cooling vents than previous models.

Have you had any problems with your PS3, or is it running as smoothly as clockwork? The comments section is just below.